Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Report: WSJ Staffers Urge Diversity In Newsroom

Reporters and editors at The Wall Street Journal have signed a letter to management expressing concern about the roles of women and people of color in the newsroom, according to Business Insider.

"Diversity in the newsroom is good for business and good for our coverage," says the letter. "We would like to see The Journal undertake a more comprehensive, intentional and transparent approach to improving it."

The letter comes at a time of dissent at The Journal, when leadership has been internally criticized for being soft on President Donald Trump, and over a year after the employees' union published details of pay disparities in the newsroom.

The letter is addressed to The Journal's editor in chief, Gerard Baker, and his deputy, Matt Murray. It was signed by 160 staffers, one person told Business Insider, although that number couldn't be independently verified. This person said they didn't know when the letter was delivered but that it was expected to have been handed to management on Tuesday morning.

"Our highest-ranking female role model left the company earlier this year," the letter says, alluding to Rebecca Blumenstein, the 22-year Journal veteran and deputy editor in chief who left for The New York Times in February. "There are currently four women and eight men listed as deputy managing editors, and both editorial page editors are men. Nearly all the people at high levels at the paper deciding what we cover and how are white men."